I grew up in Namibia and later South Africa in a mad keen gardening family and was encouraged from an early age to enjoy growing things … however it was not until I moved to England nearly 30 years ago that my gardening hobby turned into a passion. Indeed, when we temporarily moved to the East Coast of US and started a family - thousands of miles away from nearest and dearest - I realised that gardening was a lot more than a passion, it was my sanctuary. Later, now with young children on board, we returned to live in lovely, leafy Sussex under the Downs, and gardening was again a constant source of joy: to pick the perfect bunch of flowers always cheers up the day and to give flowers to a friend says so much more than words.

 However, living in rural Sussex, I found myself frustrated that I could never buy the perfect bunch of locally-sourced flowers when needed and aware of the massive impact that imported flowers have on the environment.

 By growing my own flowers, I can feed my passion but with a low carbon footprint, support wildlife and do it in an eco-friendly way: everything benefits!  The birds, bees and butterflies, and the soil and its many invertebrates are all so vital for a healthy world… and so, my vegetable patch started to turn into flower beds… and the more I grew, the more I wanted to grow and I realise that while I love gardening, it is growing flowers that drives me!

 Now that my children have flown the nest, I spend even more time growing flowers and I would love to share the joy of a beautiful bunch of scented, locally grown flowers with you.